Method for conveying material



J. D. RUSSELL METHOD FOR CONVEYING MATERIAL Oct. 13,1970

Filed Oct. 24, 1968 5 no. A \\\\\&v\\\\\\\\\\\\\ n J. MEVg RL on TS. NS. W N@ N H 0 J -N ...ELI

U.S. Cl. 299-18 United States 'Patent O 3,533,660 METHOD FOR CONVEYING MATERIAL John D. Russell, Box 376, Bradford Woods, Pa. 15015 Filed Oct. 24, 1968, Ser. No. 770,306 Int. Cl. E21c 41/00 '11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method for conveying materials to and from a forwardly advancing mining machine by maintaining a single continuous conveying length of belting between a stationary station and a station which is movable with the mining machine, one end of such belting being secured to a spool aiixed to the stationary station and the other end of such belting being secured to a spool aiiixed to the other station.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention mined minerals are conveyed from a forwardly advancing mining machine to a stationary haulage conveyor located rearwardly the mining machine by means of a belt having one end secured to a spool located adjacent the haulage conveyor and the other end secured to a spool mounted at the rearward end of the mining machine. By means of such a spool and belt arrangement, the belt can be fed out from the spool an amount necessary to convey a uniform depth of mined mineral while simultaneously compensating for the forward movement of the mining machine, thereby enabling unbroken continuous means for conveying the mined mineral between the mining machine and the haulage conveyor.

The objects and advantages of this invention will be more readily apparent from the following description and drawings of preferred embodiments of this invention in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevational view, partly schematic, of mining equipment constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention and arranged at the start of the mining operation;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view, partly schematic, of the mining equipment shown in FIG. 1 during the progress of a mining operation, subsequent to the starting of the mining operation;

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevational view, partly schematic, of the mining equipment shown in FIG. 1 during the progress of a mining operation subsequent to the operation shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 1 illustrates a conveying system constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention as utilized in a mining operation such as the mining of coal or other mineral. In such mining a suitable mining machine 4 moves forwardly from a previously mined passageway 5 into a mineral seam while simultaneously removing mineral from the seam to extend the passageway 5 lwithin the seam. Such mining machine 4 is of any suitable known type and as shown comprises a type illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,130,784 which has an adinstable cutting head 14. Severed mined mineral M is conveyed rearwardly of the head 14 in a manner Well known in the art and discharged over the rearward end of a tail conveyor 12 which is an integral part of mining machine 4.

Forwardly adjacent the discharge end of the tail conveyor 12 a rotatable reel or drum 10, having a longitudinal axis thereof extending transversely of the mining machine 4, is supported from machine 4 intermediate the return run of conveyor 12 and a Ifloor 7 of passageway 5, in any suitable manner which will permit conveyor beltlCe ing to be freely reeled upon or pulled off of the drum 10. A suitable elongated texible conveyor belt 6, preferably constructed of stainless steel sheet, has one end thereof suitably rigidly secured to the drum 10, and an ,intermediate conveying portion which extends along the iioor 7 to a rearwardly located reel or drum 8 to which the other end of belt 46 is suitably rigidly secured. Drum 8 is rotatable and extends transversely of passageway 5 and is located intermediate the roof and door 7 of passageway 5. A stationary frame member 9 of any suitable construction suitably rotatably supports drum 8 at a suitable rearward portion of passageway 5 and as shown is located adjacent a well known transversely eX- tending main haulage conveyor 2 such that the belt 6 can discharge material therein when the belt 6r is being reeled upon drum 8.

Sequential IFIGS. l, 2 and 4 illustrate a method of mining of this invention in which the drum 10' is initially rotated by any suitable drive means, illnstratively counterclockwise, to wind a length of belt 6 thereon in excess of the longitudinal distance between the drums 8 and 10. With the belt 6 so wound on the drum 10 the mining machine 4 is thereafter moved axially forward, for example at a velocity of 4 feet per minute, to simultaneously mine mineral from the face of passageway y5, convey the severed material by the conveyor 12, and discharge the material M from the conveyor 12 in any suitable manner, such as by gravity onto the belt y6. At the same time machine 4 is mining, the belt 6 is wound upon drum 8, by any suitable driving means, to convey the material M to the haulage conveyor 2 at a rate dependent upon the velocity of belt 6, which, as a practical design matter, exceeds the forward velocity of the machine 4 thereby reducing the total load of material M on belt 6 at any one time, and additionally providing for a more uniform distribution of material M on belt 6. Accordingly, when conveying material M, the drum `8 is rotated, illnstratively counterclockwise, to unwind belt y6 at a sufiicient rate such that a desired quantity of material M is discharged by conveyor 12 onto an unwinding portion of belt 6 while simultaneously increasing the nnwound length of belt 6 in passageway 5 an amount equal to the forward advance of mining machine 4. As an example a uniform load of 20() pounds per lineal foot of belt 6 is obtainable by having a velocity range of belt 6 from 25 to 60 feet per minute. Thus with rotating drum 8 counterclockwise the belt 6 is nnwound from drum 10 causing drum 10 to rotate clockwise.

By such a method as hereinabove described the discharge portion of belt l6 is continuously fed material M at a uniform rate from conveyor 12. The mining machine 4 continues to move axially forward at a rate slower than the speed of belt 6 which is being wound around drum 8, until such time as the length of the nnwound belt 6 remaining on drum 10 is approximately equal to or somewhat greater than the longitudinal distance between drums 10 and 8. At this time the forward advance of mining machine 4 is discontinued and thereafter drum 8 is rotated at a higher speed than previously operated, for example 300 feet per minute, to Wind that portion of belt 6 contained between drums 8 and 10 around the outer periphery of drum 8. Although not essential, the higher rotational speed of drum 8 is desirable to unload the material M on belt 16 as quickly as possible to enable continuance of mining operations as hereinafter described. As belt 6 winds around drum 8, the mined material M is suitably discharged such as by gravity onto the haulage conveyor 2 which transports the material M to a desired remote location in a manner well known in the art.

After the winding onto drum 8 hereinabove described is accomplished, drum 10 is rotated, illnstratively counterclockwise, to wind the axial length of belt `6 in excess of the longitudinal distance between drums '8 and `10 around the outer periphery thereof, thereby allowing mining machine 4 to again advance at which time drum 8 is rotated counterclockwise in a manner as hereinbefore described to carry the mined material M to haulage conveyor 2. Thus a cycle of lwinding of belt 6y around drum advancing mining machine 4 while simultaneously causing drum 8 to rotate and pull belt `6 from drum 10; and discontinuing the forward advance of mining machine 4 when the length of unwound belt 6 remaining on drum 10 approximately equals the distance between drums 8 and 10, can be continued -until such time as the total advance of mining machine 4 within passageway S is equal to 1/2 of the total length of belt 6', for example a 1500 lineal foot length of belt 6 would permit mining with the continuous conveying system such as described for a total passage length of up to approximately 750 feet.

The forward end of belt 6 passes under a well known roller which is lixed to the rear end of mining ma-` chine 4 upwardly adjacent the passageway iioor 7. By use of the roller 20, belt 6 is orientated to travel the majority of the length of passageway 5 adjacent the -oor 7. At the rearward end of passageway 5, belt 6 passes from a substantially horizontal portion adjacent lioor 7 to an upwardly inclined discharge portion, the uppermost end of which wraps around the outer periphery of drum 8. The discharge portion of belt 6 is kept in proper orientation by any suitable means, for example a hold down idler pulley 16, of a type illustrated in U.S. Pat. 3,162,298 which, as shown is suitably affixed to the stationary frame member 9 forwardly and downwardly of drum y8.

In addition to the operational procedure of this invention hereinabove described it will become obvious to one skilled in the art that the invention can be used in reverse, namely, for the feeding of material from a ixed station to a moving station, as in a spreading operation. Once again, the procedure is similar to the procedure used with the mining machine with the primary exception that the initial winding of belt 6 will be on that drum which is aliixed adjacent the xed station rather than the moving station. Y

What is claimed is:

1. A- method of selectively conveying material along a variable length path comprising: continuously maintaining only a single conveying length of belting along a path between two members while a tirst of said members is successively moving relative to a second of said members by unreeling one end portion of said belting from one of said members and reeling the other end portion of said belting onto the other of said members for so long as said one end portion has a length of belting thereat in excess of the linear distance between said members; and simultaneously with said moving discharging material onto successive portions of said belting being unreeled from said one end portion.

2. A method as specified in claim 1 additionally cornprising discontinuing said moving of said first of said members when said last mentioned length of belting approximates the linear distance between said members.

3. A method as specied in claim 2 additionally cornprising continuing said reeling until substantially all of said last mentioned length of belting is unreeled from said one of said members whereat said reeling is discontinued.

4. A method as specified in claim 3 wherein said continuing said reeling is at a rate thereof in excess of the previous rate of said reeling.

5. A method as speci-fied in claim 3 additionally comy prising: unreeling said other end portion of said belting cessively moving said -rst of said members relative to said second of said members While continuously maintaining said single conveying length of belting along a path between said members by unreeling one end portion of said belting from one of said members and reeling the i other end portion of said belting onto the other of said members for so long as said one end portion has a length thereat in excess of the linear distance between said members; and simultaneously with said moving, discharging material onto successive portions of said belting being unreeled from said one end portion.

`6. A method as specified in claim 5 wherein said reeling onto said one of said members is at a rate in excess of the previous rate of said reeling onto the other of said members.

7. A method as specilied in claim 1 wherein during Said maintaining, a major portion of said belting communicating between said two members is in substantial engagement with the ground along said path.

8. A method as specified in claim 7 wherein the rate of said reeling is at least equal to the rate of said moving.

9. A method as specilied in claim 7 wherein said rst of said members is the same member as said one of said members.

10. A method as specified in claim 9 wherein said first of said members is a mining machine.

11. A method as specified in claim 9 wherein said second of said members discharges said material conveyed thereto onto a haulage conveyor located adjacent to said second of said members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,060,227 11/1936 Logan 193-139 2,312,343 12/1957 Yaggi 193-139 3,239,316 12/1966 Baeehn 193-92 X IERNEST R. PURSER, Primary lExaminer 

